Today's decision by the Berlin-Brandenburg OVG on the noise protection programme and airport commissioning

15.06.2012

The Berlin-Brandenburg Upper Administrative Court (OVG) today approved an application by residents living in the vicinity of the airport against the noise protection programme for Berlin-Brandenburg Airport. Accordingly, the applicants are "entitled to financial compensation and/or installation of noise protection measures during the daytime which ensure the prevention of maximum A-value sound levels higher than 55 dB(A) inside residential buildings".

The application for postponement of the opening date was not however approved by the OVG. The court ruled this would be "disproportionate in view of the serious effects on a multitude of public and private interests". The petitioners' request for a ban on night-time flights until noise protection measures had been guaranteed was also unsuccessful. The court explained that this request for "a partial revocation of the approved and planned regulations would fail because of the principle of proportionality". Airport commissioning and night-time flight regulations are therefore unaffected by today's decision.

Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH will evaluate the OVG decision, consult within the boards and finally provide information on the next steps to be taken.